Love Lift Me
by KB103
Summary: One-shot. As Callie prepares for the birth of her child, Arizona plans a few surprises of her own. Written as part of the proposal rewrite event at LJ.


Title: Love Lift Me  
>Author: KB103<br>Pairing: Callie/Arizona  
>Rating: K<br>Summary: Proposal Rewrite. As Callie prepares for the birth of her child, Arizona plans a few surprises of her own.

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's, that distinction is reserved for Shonda. No copyright infringement is intended by this story, just lots of smiles and giggles.

A/N: So here's my attempt at a one-shot. I wrote it as part of the "proposal re-write" event at LJ. This is how I would have like to see a proposal done between my two favorite girls. I don't typically write one-shots, so I hope this is decent. Many thanks to my beta and fiancée, Ali.

Happy Reading,

~KB~

* * *

><p>The sun peaked just over the Seattle horizon as the spring birds chirped in the trees. Callie stretched her body off the mattress, breathing deeply as her muscles relaxed. Her tanned arm came to rest on Arizona's side of the bed, frowning as she remembered the blonde was paged last night. Her other hand traveled down the path of her body, and playfully drew circles on her swollen belly. The brunette smiled at the thought of her baby arriving soon. She was ridiculously excited. It was even to the point where she didn't care about not being able to cut at the moment. Ok. Perhaps that was stretching the truth a little bit. She cared, but not enough to throw a fit and pout. Hell, she couldn't even frown, let alone pout. Callie couldn't remember ever being this happy.<p>

She swung her feet over the edge of the bed, holding her back for support as she stood. Waddling towards the door to the bathroom, Callie's feet padded across the hardwood floor. The Latina turned on the shower and peeled off her clothes, before stepping into the warm spray. She could feel her body waking up a little bit with each droplet of water pelting her achy body. She'd tossed and turned most of the night thanks to Arizona's page. As much as she loved her girlfriend, Callie hated that she couldn't sleep without her. It made her life while on maternity leave difficult to say the least.

Callie had recently gone on official leave. She stopped doing surgeries during her eighth month, but since she was due in about a week, both Callie and Arizona – with Mark in agreement – decided she should take this time to relax, making sure she wasn't stressed. That was the plan anyway until the Peds world decided this week was the one to implode. It was Thursday and Arizona had been paged into the hospital by 2 a.m. every night this week. To say it was pissing Callie off was the understatement of the century.

Stepping out of the shower, Callie wrapped herself in her long, black towel. She walked back into her bedroom, drying herself off as she went. As she stood in front of the mirror, the Latina smoothed her hands over her belly. Turning, she examined her body. In some ways, it was just odd being pregnant, but Callie found that she really liked it. Nothing compared to the excitement she was feeling right now, knowing that soon she would be holding her child, her baby.

The brunette dressed herself relatively quickly, wanting to head over to the hospital for lunch with Arizona. One of the provisions of her taking this week off was that she was allowed to go to the hospital to pick up files and eat lunch. That way, she at least got some fresh air and wouldn't go too stir crazy. She pushed open the door to her bedroom, walking towards the kitchen. The brunette picked up a piece of fruit from the basket, and prepared to sit down at the counter when a piece of paper caught her eye. Reaching over, Callie grabbed the small snippet of paper, smiling as she realized it was a note from Arizona.

_Calliope,_

_I hope it's not noon, but I'm not hedging my bets because I know how much you like to sleep in. You've been so tired lately; it's like you're carrying around something or whatever :P. I know you're smiling, you goof. Anyway, I can't wait to see you for lunch, but it will be short (sorry!) because I planned some other stuff for you today. Don't ask me either; I'm not telling. _

_All my love,_

_-A_

Callie frowned as she munched on her apple. Arizona was clearly up to something, but the Latina had no idea what it was. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it read only 10:30. It was early for lunch, but Callie wanted to at least investigate the blonde a little bit. Besides, she needed charts, at least that's what she would tell anyone who asked what she was doing over their so early.

Finishing her apple, Callie walked towards the sink. She placed the core in the small compost bin. "Going green" was something to which Arizona introduced Callie over their time together. It didn't surprise Callie in the slightest when she learned about the blonde's budding love of environmentalism. Though, that didn't stop her from busting Arizona's chops by reading "Stuff White People Like" aloud whenever the mood struck.

Arizona was less than amused when that happened.

Callie pulled on her jacket before leaving the apartment. Taking the elevator to the ground floor, soon she exited the building to the street. As a small amount of pain shot through her due to a swift kick from the tiny human growing inside her, the brunette thanked the heavens for the closeness of her building to the hospital. The doors zoomed open as Callie stepped on the mat. Quietly waiting for the elevator, the Latina noted the lobby was oddly quiet for this time of day. She exhaled as the elevator ascended the floors towards the surgical wing. Stepping off the elevator, the brunette continued down the hall towards the orthopedic area.

Standing at the nurses' station, Callie flipped through a couple of the charts belonging to her patients. Her immediate surgical cases had been transferred to Dr. Chang, but Callie still liked to check up on them from time to time.

"Hey stranger."

Callie smirked as she heard the wheels skip across the floor, knowing instantly the voice belonged to Arizona. "Hi Arizona."

The blonde grinned brightly, happy to have run into her girlfriend earlier than expected. "Micromanaging your patients baby or were you just eager to see me?"

The Latina pretended to ponder the question, her playful smirk threatening to give her away and break into a full smile. "I think you know the answer to that, Arizona."

"Micromanaging your patients?" the blonde asked, knowing it would get a little bit of a rise out of Callie.

Callie teasingly swatted Arizona on the arm. "That's exactly it. I definitely didn't want to spend some time with the love of my life or anything."

Arizona's heart swelled at Callie's words, reaffirming her decision to make these plans for today. "You're sweet today," she responded, dropping a lingering kiss on Callie's cheek. "Wanna come on rounds with me and then we can go to lunch?"

"That sounds amazing," Callie answered, giving the blonde's hand a loving squeeze as she looped their fingers together.

The Latina loved going on rounds with Arizona. Witnessing the way she worked with her patients was simply amazing. They loved her. Callie knew Arizona worried about being a good mother; it was something they discussed a few times. The brunette, however, was not worried at all. Whenever she watched the blonde with her patients, Callie just knew she would be wonderful with her daughter, their daughter.

At first, it was hard for Arizona to really and truly accept the baby as something she and Callie shared. Callie didn't blame her at all of course because she had no idea how to navigate the situation. They were swimming in uncharted waters, and each day was a learning experience. With the birth of their child on the horizon, however, Callie saw nothing but happiness in their future. Of course there would be spats and disagreements over parenting and boundaries, but they would be happy.

"You're creepy," Arizona said as she strode out of her final patient's room.

"How am I creepy?" Callie asked with a small chuckle.

The blonde winked and smiled. "You're always watching me."

"I'm watching you, Arizona Robbins, always watching," Callie responded in her best creepy Roz voice.

Arizona laughed heartily, lacing her fingers through Callie's as she buried her head in the Latina's shoulder. "You're such a goof. Let's get some lunch."

The pair meandered towards the cafeteria, smiles plastered on their faces and hands intertwined. Once they got their food, Arizona carried both trays over to a nice table in the corner, far away from prying eyes and whispers. "You know, Arizona," Callie said, sliding into the booth, "I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own tray."

"I know," the blonde answered, taking a bite of her salad.

Callie sighed, taking her own bite of salad, and deciding arguing with Arizona was not in her best interest, especially when it came to points of chivalry. "I hate you," she grumbled.

"'Cuz I'm awesome," the blonde threw back without missing a beat, her blue eyes sparkling playfully.

"What are you gals doing hiding in the corner?" Mark asked as he suddenly joined them, sliding into the booth next to Callie. "Wouldn't a closet be more appropriate?"

"Mark!" Arizona squealed, "Just the person I was looking for," the blonde said excitedly, ignoring his previous comments.

Callie's mouth dropped open slightly. Even though things between the three of them had been great as of late, she never thought Arizona would ever be looking for Mark. "You were?"

"Yes she was," Mark answered. "You and I have a date, Torres."

"We do?" Callie asked, her mouth full of lettuce.

"You do," Arizona replied, smiling. "I have surgery soon, so I have to go, but Mark is taking you some place fun. Enjoy your day sweetheart," the blonde said, giving Callie a quick kiss before she could react.

She walked down the hall towards the PEDs wing, so she could check-in with Karev before he prepped the patient for surgery. She was doing a heart repair with Teddy on a five year old girl named Zoe. She was one of the cutest little girls Arizona had ever seen. She made Arizona itch even more to hold her own child.

To say she was excited for Callie to give birth didn't even come close. Arizona was ecstatic and on cloud nine. Of course, part of that had to do with her evening plans as well. Right now, Mark was driving Callie over to have a professional foot rub and a face and head massage. The Latina loved it when Arizona would play with her hair and face, so the blonde decided to book her an official appointment. That way, she would have time after her surgery to set up the next part of the surprise.

"Is she all ready to go?" Arizona asked Alex as she approached the nurses' station.

"Yep," he replied, handing the blonde Zoe's chart. "She's all set."

"Thanks, Karev. I'll see you in the OR," Arizona said before walking away towards the elevator. She rounded the corner, nearly running into Teddy. "Oh sorry, Teddy," the PEDs surgeon said as she collected herself. "Shouldn't you be on the way to the OR?"

Teddy nodded. "Yes. I was actually coming to find you," the heart surgeon responded. "How is your day today?"

Arizona pushed the button to the elevator before turning to face Teddy. "My day is fantastic."

"And your plans?" the other woman asked knowingly.

"So far, going well," Arizona replied, a smile gracing her features.

They rode the elevator in a comfortable silence before exiting on the OR floor. They scrubbed in quickly, each anxious to begin the surgery. A smile danced across Arizona's lips underneath her mask as she took the scalpel from the scrub nurse. She knew they were going to rock this surgery; it was a feeling. Teddy's eyes sparkled on the other side of the table. The PEDs surgeon gingerly cut into the cavity, beginning the process of giving the little girl new life.

A few hours later, Arizona couldn't keep the smile from her face. She and Teddy absolutely nailed that surgery. She took a deep breath; today was a great day. Checking her watch, the blonde knew she only had a little bit before she had to be across town. As she made her way up to the attendings' lounge, she hoped she wouldn't run into anyone. She really couldn't afford to get behind schedule.

Standing in the elevator, however, as she stepped on was Mark Sloan. "What are you doing here?" Arizona asked. "You shouldn't be here."

"Relax, Arizona," Mark said reassuringly, "Callie just asked me to pick up something from her locker." The plastics surgeon turned his head towards the blonde. "Running a little short on time, aren't you?"

"Suck it, Mark," Arizona fired back, getting off the elevator.

Mark shook his head as the doors closed. He pressed the button for the lobby, his fingers running over the soft velvet of the box he had in his pocket. Callie was smart to hide the ring at work, he thought. At the apartment her stuff was too mingled with Arizona's for her not to find it. Walking off the elevator, Mark headed towards the doors leading out to the parking lot where Callie was waiting. His job was to take her for ice cream while Robbins changed and headed over to the "rendezvous point". Mark loved being in on both sets of plans; it made for one interesting evening.

"Here you go, Torres," he said, climbing into the driver's seat and handing her the box.

"Thanks Mark," Callie replied, smiling.

"Do you think you're going to ask her tonight?" he asked as he put the car in gear.

"I don't know," the brunette replied honestly, her fingers toying with the ring. The diamonds caught the soft moonlight, sending the light bouncing around the car. "I think she might though," Callie confessed. "It feels like this day has been building up to something huge."

Mark struggled to maintain a straight face, and not give Arizona away. Unfortunately, Callie was a bit perceptive. He had no cover for this. This situation wasn't listed under the many for which Arizona had prepared him. "Or," he said shakily, "she could love you?"

"Uh huh," Callie replied skeptically as Mark pulled into her favorite ice cream parlor in Seattle. "We'll pretend I believe you. Right now, I want ice cream."

Mark chuckled and followed Callie into the well lit ice cream parlor. The Latina's eyes lit up as she received her massive waffle cone. This was the perfect capstone to her day, in her opinion. This afternoon, Arizona sent her to this wonderful massage place. Callie actually thought she'd died and gone to heaven, it was that good. Now she was eating ice cream, and not just any ice cream, Graters' ice cream. It was the best ice cream Callie had ever tasted. She and Mark found the place a couple of years ago, when Callie was going through her drama with George.

It was a sight for happier times now, but Callie still couldn't help the feeling that something was going on. Arizona was nowhere to be found, and Callie knew her surgery was done over a half hour ago. She hoped there weren't any complications because some quality time with her girl was definitely in order. Callie loved her job, but the long hours certainly complicated a relationship let alone building a family. Despite all the drama, disagreements, and tears, this baby would have three parents, and hopefully between all of them, he/she could get the care they deserve. If Callie had to do this alone, she wouldn't know what to do. 80 hour work weeks left little room for time to raise a child. But Mark was in. Arizona was in. She had family in Arizona and a best friend in Mark. That was a good feeling.

"You all done?" Mark asked, motioning to the last few bites of Callie's now demolished waffle cone.

"Yep," the Latina replied as she polished off the remaining bits.

"Good," he said with a nod, "it's time to go see your girl."

"Thank God," Callie said as they left the ice cream shop, "I'm so tired."

"It's been a long day," the plastic surgeon commented, climbing in the car.

Callie nodded as she joined him. "But a good one."

Mark didn't reply. Instead he just smirked as he put the car in gear. He tried to keep Callie engaged in conversation with him, so she wouldn't notice where it was they were going. Of course, that didn't last long.

"Where are we going, Mark?" the brunette asked as she looked out the window despite Mark's efforts to distract her. "This isn't the way home."

"We're going to see Arizona," Mark said evenly, hoping she wouldn't keep asking questions.

"Where is she?"

"Places."

"What kind of places?"

"Just…places. Don't ask questions," Mark replied, trying to shut Callie up for just a few more minutes.

"But…"

"Shhhh," he interrupted.

"How…"

"Shhh," Mark shut her up again, pulling over to the side of the street, "we're here."

"Oh," the Latina said as she looked out of the car window, clearly confused. As she opened the car door, however, she could see Arizona standing in front of the entryway to a gorgeous townhome, holding a candle. "Arizona?" the brunette asked as she closed the door behind her. "What's going on?"

"Come here," the blonde said, holding out her hand for Callie.

The Latina laced their fingers together and followed Arizona through the door. The house was absolutely beautiful. The first room, where they stood, had gorgeous hardwood floors and a staircase leading to the second level. Callie looked around the place in awe. "Wow," she said, finally letting out a breath, "this place is amazing."

"Do you not recognize it?" Arizona asked.

"Should I?"

"It's the house you've had bookmarked forever," the blonde replied with a slight chuckle. "I suppose it looks different in the night."

Realization finally dawning on her, Callie whirled around to face her girlfriend. "Oh my God, Arizona, did you buy this house?"

Arizona shrugged. "Sort of. I paid the deposit and the down payment, knowing that if I paid outright, you would kill me. But yes, once we do the paperwork, this will be our house."

Tears sprang into Callie's eyes. "Our house?"

"Yes," Arizona replied, standing on her toes to place an emotional kiss on her girlfriend's lips. She pressed their foreheads together before whispering, "our house." Her own eyes glossing over with tears, the blonde slid to the floor on one knee. "Calliope," she managed to breathe, despite the emotion overwhelming her senses.

"Arizona…" Callie responded, also overcome by the moment.

"I love you so much, Calliope. I didn't expect to fall in love with you when I decided to kiss you at Joe's. I knew I could, however, after our first date where we danced in your living room. You are miraculous, one of the best people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. I know we haven't always been perfect, but when I think of you and the life growing inside of you, I realize you are my family. Eres mi vida, Calliope, mi alma, y mi corazon. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The Latina was so stunned; it took her a minute to process what just happened. "Yes," she finally answered, a smile breaking over her lips, "definitely yes."

"Really?" Arizona squealed, sliding the ring on Callie's finger before throwing herself in the Latina's arms. She captured the brunette's lips between her own in a sensual and passionate kiss. Their bodies melded together surrounded by the walls of their new home.

"Wait," Callie said, tearing her lips from Arizona's.

"What?" Arizona asked, a little bit confused.

"Great minds think alike," the Latina replied, brandishing her own black box. She opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond very similar to the one Arizona had just given her. "I'm sorry I don't have a house," she joked, earning a swat from the blonde. Once the giggles subsided, Callie took another breath before continuing, "Arizona, I know this wasn't your dream. When you came back from Africa to chase after me, I know me being pregnant with Mark's child, wasn't something you had in mind. You didn't sign up for this¸ and I know that. But, you stayed anyway. You stayed when most people would have left. You stayed even though everyone else has left me. You have proven time and time again through this pregnancy that you are so in this. You even used google translate for your proposal," Callie said with a smirk. "I love you Arizona Robbins more than I ever thought possible. Will you marry me?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes," Arizona answered, punctuating each word with a kiss.

"We're getting married," Callie said in disbelief.

"We're getting married," the blonde repeated, reclaiming the Latina's lips, each perfectly content in that moment and hopefully for the rest of their lives.


End file.
